Date:	Saturday 17 June 1944
Time:	01:53 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk II
Owner/operator:	101 Sqn RAF
Registration:	LM474
MSN:	SR-X2
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Volkel Airfield, Noord-Brabant -   Netherlands
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Ludford Magna
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Took off from RAF Ludford Magna at 23:41 on ABC duties in support of the RAF Bomber Command Sterkrade/Holten raid (Germany).

The aircraft was shot down from 20,000 ft by a night fighter and crashed near Volkel airfield, 2 km SSE of Uden, where those who died were taken for burial. Claims were submitted by Oblt. Alfons Köster (Stab III./NJG 2 / Junkers Ju 88 G-1) and by Lt. Gottfried Hanneck (6./NJG 1 / Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4).

Since 1945, Fg Off Adair RCAF has been reinterred in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Netherlands (51.797934 / 5.930606) and the other four casualties lie at the Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands (51.663822 / 5.612422).

Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer Gordon George Welch RCAF J/27563 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Brian Towse RAF 1892647 [PoW]
Navigator : Flying Officer Duncan Traylen McKillop RCAF 35032 [PoW]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer David Kenneth Adair RCAF J/29705 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant Patrick West RAF 957498 [PoW]
Special Equipment Operator : Sergeant Ronald H. James RAFVR 1896179 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Pilot Officer John Shaw Winder RCAF J/93659 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Willard Vernon Ireland RCAF R/210291 [Killed]

https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T3809&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part three
Google Maps
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1944 Page 285.
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Dec-2008 11:45	ASN archive	Added
04-Jan-2011 02:44	gwsadair	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Narrative, ]
16-Jun-2016 18:22	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
09-Oct-2018 05:32	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator, ]
09-Oct-2020 07:24	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative, ]
09-Oct-2020 07:26	TigerTimon	Updated [Narrative, ]
16-Jun-2022 08:31	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
23-Jun-2025 06:34	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]